Explained | The Fukushima N-wastewater controversy

Japan releases contaminated water from Fukushima plant, sparking public outcry. Govt. claims it is safe, but many fear health risks. Japan has met with regional counterparts to discuss the treatment and release plan, and has set aside funds to compensate fishers. Govt. is looking to revive nuclear power industry, and restore public trust.

The story so far: Last month, amid strong backlash from the public and neighbouring countries, Japan began the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

On April 13, 2021, Japan’s government announced plans to release over one million tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea over the next 30 years. The wastewater is a byproduct of the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which disabled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the release of radioactive materials. After more than a decade of storing this wastewater, Japan says they are running out of storage space, and allege that the, now treated water is safe for release.

However, since the announcement in 2021, a sizeable fraction of the public, both domestic and foreign, have been speaking out against this decision, claiming that mixing radioactive materials in the sea poses major health risks, especially since these countries rely heavily on seafood.

The water is being treated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Japan’s largest electric utility firm. Since 2011, TEPCO has been in charge of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, and managing the waste. The water has been treated with multiple techniques, notably the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes 62 types of radioactive materials.

However, it doesn’t remove tritium. TEPCO and the Japanese government argue that the concentration of tritium does not exceed international standards, in particular, those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. According to TEPCO’s website, the radiation emitted by tritium is “extremely weak, and can be blocked with a single sheet of paper.” The concentration is also six times less than the limit for tritium in drinking water, set by the World Health Organization.

“You can’t remove tritium because it is identical to hydrogen. So removing it, chemically extracting it from wastewater becomes quite impossible,” explains Dr. Arun Vishwanathan, Associate Professor at the School of National Security Studies at Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar. “What they [have done], and what other nuclear plants … also do is mix it with water so that the tritium quantity reduces further, before it is actually released into the sea.”

Fears persist within the majority. A poll conducted by Japan’s Jiji Press in September shows that 16.3% of respondents are opposed to the discharge of the treated water, and 30.8% were neither opposed nor in favour. Several protests have been held in Seoul against the release, and many hoarded seafood ahead of the discharge. Some surveys show that 80-85% of South Koreans oppose the water’s release. The Chinese government, which has been against Japan’s decision since the announcement was made, has already banned seafood from Japan.